


Soudam Week Entry

by RowanLaverne



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Slash, Soudam Week
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-01-06 13:06:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18389015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowanLaverne/pseuds/RowanLaverne
Summary: This is gonna be a collection of 0neshots. seven in total. Day 1: First Times | Baking/Cooking | SCARSDay 2: Omegaverse | TRADITIONS | Childhood/ChildrenDay 3: SNOWSTORM | Music | CuddlingDay 4: Mastermind | Love/Hate | ICE SKATING/SleddingDay 5: Nightmares | PHYSICAL CONTACT | First SnowDay 6: Marriage | ANGEL/DEMON | New YearDay 7: Despair | Future | Family





	1. Internal Scarring

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I'm Rowan. This is a collection of one shots for Soudam week. It was a while ago, but I was moving and only just am getting established. More to come.

The mortals were speaking excitedly amongst one another. Tanaka didn't know what about nor did he care about the idle musings of these mere humans. He had more important things on his mind at the moment. He had found an injured phoenix the day before that needed tending. He had already bound the broken wing on the beast, but it needed feeding at the moment. It was underweight and as it was on waxing end of its life cycle, it needed frequent feedings.That was why he was currently loading a plate up to take back to his room, small scraps of meat not being normal fair for him, but this creature needed required meat for its continued survival. 

Suddenly the energy in the room shifted and Tanaka could feel a panic rising and he glanced up and towards his mortal allies. He usually was only able to sense the emotions of hellish beats, not mortals such as these, but he knew something was wrong at the moment.

Tanaka glanced up and over the at the crowd of humans and his eyes narrowed in confusion. The body language of the Tamer of Automations was very unusual. His shoulders were quickly rising, approaching his shoulders. His hands were also open, but tense as his fingers twitched, his eyes wide and unseeing as they darted among the crowd surrounding him. It appeared as if the other had been backed into a corner, unbenounced to him. 

If the Tamer of Automations was a hellish beast, he would assume the other was currently having an internal battle of fight or flight because of said entrapment.

Tanaka cocked his head and watched, wondering how this encounter would unfold and weather or not he was correctly predicting a mortals behavior. He also began to wonder if he should step in. at the very least he can take the attention off the Tamer of Automations and onto himself for a moment, allowing the other to slip away if that is indeed what he needed at the current moment.

Shoulders still rising, his sight seemed to return to him before the Tamer of Automations started to shake. He seemed unable to find a way out of his trapping.

“G-guys, I-I-” He started, his stuttering rivalling that of even the Timid One. Tanaka was only just able to make his faint words out because of his demonic hearing, only just pulling the others voice apart from the low drone of the crowd surrounding him.. 

No one seemed to notice as his shoulders reached their peak, right under his ears and his eyes shut tight. None of the other mortals somehow seemed to notice. In fact, the crowd of their allies infernal clumsiness caused one of them to knock into the Tamer of Automatons. A startled yelp pulled from him as flight seemed to win out within his internal battle and he shoved past everyone and ran out of the hotel and down the stairs to outside, tears streaming down his eyes suddenly. 

Deafening silence fell with his exit. Even the She-Cat seemed at a loss for words.

“What a fucking baby. God he’s so fucking pathetic,” the Devil Dancer said and Tanaka sighed. What ignorance, he shook his head.

A conversation then started at the Tamer of Automatons expense and this made Tanaka’s hackles rise.They seemed to even be laughing about this! With a derisive snort, Tanaka took the food on his plate in hand and prepared to take his leave, but first he made his parting remark. He didn't plan to stay much longer after. It seemed two needed him at the current moment. Weather his presence would be accepted by the mortal in need, that he would bother himself with later, right now he needed to have his so called allies understand what they have done. 

“The Tamer of Automatons was backed into a corner. How can you mortals who call yourselves allies not notice his distress? Your behavior sickens me.” 

The devil dancer responded with something ugly but Tanaka cared not for her input and turned, scarf billowing behind him as he took the stairs himself.

***

Tanaka hadn’t gone far when he heard the sniffles and recognized the voice despite the whimpers. To mortals, this might indeed look and seem pathetic, but fight or flight was not something Hellish Beasts had control of. Some mortals can get past their hellish roots, but it seemed the Tamer of Automatons seemed that he could not. He wondered what had happened to cause the other to respond in such a way to the crowding. 

He felt his feet carry him towards the sounds before he even made a decision about pursuing the other. Tanaka made sure his foot falls were heavier than normal in order to be heard and not surprise the other as he made his way over to the shrubbery outside the front of the hotel. This seemed to be where the sounds were coming from and he cleared his throat. 

“Tamer of Automations?”

The sniffling stopped and a scrambling was heard before a deep sigh. “Yeah? You here to make fun‘a me too?”

Tanaka blinked and cocked his head before stepping around the bushes, bringing the pink haired youth into his proper vision and at the same time, his own vissage to the shorter male.

“I have not come to jest at or with you. I merely desired to check up on your well being after your flight from the hotel.”

Souda had his hat pulled down and looked up at Tanaka with watery eyes only just visible. He swiped at his nose and looked away with as strong of a huff as he seemed able to muster. 

“Yeah well, I’m fine. You can go now.” His voice warbled and Tanaka’s eyes widened. He pulled his scarf up to cover his mouth as he bit his lip, going over his current options mentally. 

He was surprised to learn that he seemed to be able to understand that the other was trying to push him away but at the same time, didn’t want him to leave. Did the Tamer of Automations want his company? Also, why was he able to read him as if he was one of his Hellish Beasts? 

“I-I.. “ Tanaka started and averted his eyes. He cleared his throat and tryed to quell his stutter and unease at how out of his depth he felt at the moment. “Could it be that you desire company?” he asked and shifted his weight, passing the small plate in his hand between both. 

Souda snorted. “Why the hell would I want that? Your a fucking loon. Bugger off, will yah?” Eyes watery and words full of barb, but they did not feel as if they held the truth of the others desires at the current time. 

Tanaka sat down next to shorter one and brushed shoulders with him. He tried not to look at the other, instead looking at the shrubbery now hiding them both. Souda shoved him away with a feral snarl at the contact. Unable to move the other further, as Tanaka was both bigger and weighed more, the smaller youth groaned and started shaking once more. His shoulders beginning to rise once more. 

“I told yah ta scram!”

“Those were your words, yes, Tamer of Automations. I did, in fact, hear them, but your mortal soul is reaching out. I-I… I do not think it would be wise to leave you at this moment.” 

Souda made a loud noise that sounded more demon them mortal before he pulled his knees up to his chest and hid his face in them.

Tanaka glanced over before picking a piece of bacon off his plate and holding it out as a peace offering. 

Souda glanced up, eyes sweeping before he took the offered bacon. He took a large bite, turning his head and yanking a peace off instead of using his sharp teeth. He chewed as he groaned. 

Tanaka took a deep breath before speaking, “Scars come in many varieties. I cared for a hellcat once. Not a visible mark on his beautiful skin, eyes clear and coat soft, but he could not tolerate being inside a house or a touch from my poisoned skin. Now, either the physical marks had healed over time, or were never present in the first place is irrelevant. The scar was there to any who possessed the knowledge of how to look.”

Silence reigned for a few minutes and Tanaka didn’t look over. Listening, instead, to the other chew the bacon. Granting him privacy and giving him time in case he wanted or needed to speak. Tanaka wouldn’t push him, but sometimes the offer of a listening ear is as good as a blood sacrifice to his precious Beasts. 

“I-I…,” the sorter male sighed and continued, “i can’t really be in big crowds and I can’t have people… around me.” He stopped once more for a second as he tried to choose his words, “Like to the point of not being able to leave if I need to. I feel blocked in and I just can’t do it. Something snaps and I-I just can’t handle it.”

Tanaka still didn’t look over, he wasn't sure he had been given permission to see the other in such a vulnerable state. “That is not so shameful a secret. Why have you not communicated such to the other mortals?” 

Souda was quiet and took another bite before swallowing. “Why would I? I just need ta get over it, yah know?” another sigh before he went on in an undertone, “He’s not here anymore. He can’t hurt me,” his voice was small and for the second time today, Tanaka was grateful for his demonic hearing. Maybe there was a way he could help after all. 

“Of whom do you speak?” 

Shifting and cracking of knuckles clenched to hard. “M-my father.”

This is when Tanaka finally chanced a look at the other. “You were sired by a demon as well?” His eyes wide in surprise. Had he stumbled upon another with demonic blood?  
Souda glanced up and locked eyes with Tanaka, incomprehension present. Tanaka pulled back up his scarf again, looking away. 

A small sigh excepted his lips as he began to explain, “My sire was a demon. He would hurt the angel that birthed me. He would even in his demonic rage try to lash out at a child such as myself as well, but the angel would always take the pain from me unto herself. Provoking his anger and giving me a chance to escape even though it meant a worse punishment for her once he realized what she was doing.”

Understanding seemed to dawn on Souda after his attempt at an explanation. 

“Your father beat your mother?”

Tanaka nodded and looked down at his bandaged arm, his free hand clenched and he wished to set down the plate so that he could tighten the wrappings. He knew this was a nervous habit and refrained. “I was too young. I had not yet grown into my own demonic powers. I was unable to fight back, and as such, I was unable to protect the angel,” his fist clenched tighter, his own knuckles cracking before a smaller hand reached out to his own. The Tamer of Automations hand seemed to hesitate for a moment before closing over Tanaka’s wrapped wrist and pulling Tanaka towards himself slightly.

Pink eyes met mismatched grey and red. 

“Hamster-Chan, you do know that when parents hurt each other or even their kid, it’s never the kid’s fault.”

Tanaka looked over a smirk played on his lips. “I know this, yes. Now, do you?”

Surprise colored the other features before a look of fond exasperation spread over his face. He shoved the larger boy beside him. 

“Fuck you with your goddamn logic and making me answer my own questions an’ shit. Get outtta here.” 

A playful tone was in the others voice so Tanaka let a small smile curl on his lips. He stood up and held out his bandaged arm to assist the other. 

“That is indeed what I did, yes. Now, shall we go? Hiding among coniferous plants is not the way I wish to spend the day and I doubt it is yours either.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m getting up. I’m getting up.” 

Souda took the offered hand and Tanaka pulled him up. Souda stumbled forward and landed with a thud against Tanaka’s wide chest. His pink eyes wide when he looked up before two protective arms wrapped around the smaller boy.


	2. Difference in Tradition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two: TRADITION/omega verse/Childhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka makes an amulet for Souda to keep him safe.

It was the 21st of December. This was not a time of celebration for most of the realm of learning Tanaka attended, but it was a time of cheer for himself. It was Yule, an ancient pagan holiday that he observed. It was very similar to the christian christmas, with most of the ideas for that newer holiday coming from this ancient sun festival, only with more focus on the mother and matron of the household. This is the day that Tanaka honored his mother as well as the day that he participated in the reciprocation of gifts. 

How Tanaka started his celebration was staying up deep into the night seeing to his scarf, the last thing he physically had to remind himself of the Angel. She had given it to him several years back when he had seen but seven winters. He remembered the day to the very detail, even it it had happened when he was a child. After all this was the first time the Angel had been able to participate in the gift giving.

Tanaka was hand washing his scarf in his bathtub, he had a special blend of herbs he washed it with but he had added a few for the holiday itself. A large quartz cluster had also been added to the water to charge the scarf with his intention. 

The cluster had been left in the light of the moon for a full cycle as was his custom on this day. This way he could transfer the most energy to the scarf for his intended purpose of protection. Protection for the scarf and himself.

Not only was Yule a time for mothers, it was also a time for protection for the last leg of the winter. The dark had outstripped the day by as much as it possibly could and now it was time for the light to return and the land to begin awakening from its long slumber.

There were also a hand full more herbs and ingredients to the potion he was using to wash his scarf in. The tub working as a makeshift cauldron. As he did not have the ability to heat such a large possession over a fire as custom dictates. He makes due with the limited magical potential offered to him. He had found though, the bathtub working as a cauldron made little difference then if he was using the large cast iron instrument itself. He admired the symbolism more than anything else. The tub was adequate. 

There was also two other stones included in the tub that he didn't usually use for his Solstice cleaning of his scarf. One was a large chunk of yellow tigers eye that he had wire wrapped himself and the other was a large amethyst geode. These were for his closest allies and he had scoured the earth for them and polished the tigers eye himself. The amethyst would never need polishing. It was perfect on it’s own so all that was left was to infuse them with the same protection spell that he used for himself annually. And what better way to cleanse them, but in the same tub as his precious scarf. It was a great honor that the others would never realize. 

He knew the others didn't see the meaning in the ancient sun festival, but seeing as this was the last day of classes before the break for the more popular holiday, Tanaka had set to work late in order to finish his enchantment in the light of the setting moon streaming in through the window and to deposit his two presents in individual cloth carrying bags he had hand made for each. One bright magenta and the other goldenrod to match their corresponding aura color and to add a personal touch for each. 

Their respective runes were also embroidered on the material of the cloth bag. Sowulo and Kenaz in the runic language of the elder Futhark.

He kept the chant short and sweet, saying what was needed in the dead language of magic, known to mortals as Latin, before it was finally ready. 

He hung his scaf to dry above the tub from the shower curtain rod before pulling out all three of the stones. First he saw to the quartz cluster, cleansing it in fresh running water from the tap before he wrapped it in a soft cloth. He set it back inside a small chest he kept in the bathroom cabinet. This cabinet held anything he would possibly need a cauldron for. Since there was no attached kitchen to his dorm room, he also kept his herbs in here. A few drying from the ceiling as he was working. Their smells mingling in the air. 

He followed this up with pulling out the two precious stones for his allies. These he did not rinse, for they needed to keep what innate magics were now imbued within them. He dried them with a second cloth, this one was white and made of pure cotton.

Once dry, he checked the stones over for any impurities that might have been caused by the soak. Seeing none, he placed them safely inside the cloth carrying sacks, adding a length of leather cord to the magenta bag for the tigers eye to be worn about the neck. 

He regarded both gifts with a smirk and took a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh. He had been working on these gifts all year, since the last year came to an end for the She-Cats gift. The Tamer of Automatons only recently became his allie this and the fact that he had become far more than a mere allie to Tanaka was beyond the point. A point he wasn’t gonna regard quiet yet. That was for later.

A slight coloring overtook his face at these words. He was hoping to find the courage today to ask the other to share his path, but the still remaining problem was that he had never seen the other show anything more than a friendly interest in him. He doubted that this plan would work, but he had to try. The reward for a successful partnership was much too great not to attempt the task. 

Leaving the bathroom, Tanaka checked up on the still sleeping Devas of Destruction. When he was satisfied they would have everything they needed for the time being, he checked the clock. 

It was still a bit before time for the realm of learning to require his presence. He also doubted anyone else would be awake this early. The gift giving would have to wait for a time.  
Tanaka pulled out a book to read until that designated time. Dark Magic for Light Times. It was an interesting read indeed. Not all of the information and rituals outlined were useful to him, but at least it wasn't yet again an introductory tome. Those numbered far to many and digging through them all was tedious. 

The set alarm alerted him a couple hours later that it was time to become prepared for the day ahead. Tanaka tried to turn his excited smile into a smirk but couldn’t quite manage it. He was excited to give them these gifts. Not that he expected anything in response, they had given him enough by extending the offering of friendship to his cursed existence. Being accepted by these two mortals was the greatest gift they could give him. He only prayed they they would appreciate the gifts he had prepared. That part was giving him a small amount of worry, not enough to outshine the excitement. Tanaka knew he didn't always pick his gifts with another's interests in mind. He tended to try and give useful gifts and what he found useful, others had been known to be blind to.

The She-Cat had been talking about the shear amount of nightmares that she had. Apparently her home country was torn by civil war, hence why she was sent to Japan to attend this school in the first place. She would wake screaming in the night, or so the other females had discussed frequently during the designated study times.  
He knew an amethyst cluster, much like his quartz, would do, but the insurmountable power of a amethyst geode was not to be dismissed. He had hoped it would bring her some form of relief or if nothing else that she would find its color pleasing. 

The tiger's eye was for far different reasons. He had been looking for the perfect gift, but he remembered how much the other had altered himself in order to appear menacing and no longer be the victim of the horrible mortals that attended his previous realm of learning. 

Tiger’s eye is a stone of strength and courage. It is ruled by the sun. Finding it to be quite unfortunate that the other couldn't see the courage in his own actions, Tanaka had wanted to give the other a focal point. In truth, this stone reminded him of the Tamer of Automatons. 

A dark blush spread over his face as he thought of this. The other probably wouldn’t understand the significance of such a stone, not being fond of the arcane arts. It might also be a tiny way to share the lighter parts of the occult with him, but he there was no way Tanaka would ever admit that. 

After getting his things together, Tanaka walked over to test his scarf. Finding it dry enough, he took it down and offered it to the Four Dark Devas and made sure they were all in warm dry places before walking across the hall and holding his clenched fist to the door. 

Then he hesitated. He could not make his poisoned fist touch the dark wood of the door. It was as if there was a forcefield holding him back. 

Taking a deep breath, Tanaka signed a sigil to get past the forcefield and knocked on the door. 

“It’s open!” sounded from within.

One more deep breath to push open the door.

Once inside Tanaka saw the other was clothed only in a loose pair of night pants and Tanaka’s face seemed to grow feverish. Finally pulling his eyes away from the others chest for a moment, he noticed the other was wearing glasses. The true color of his eyes exposed for all to see.  
Well, as he is in his personal realm, maybe not all. Only for Tanaka. He must not think these thoughts!

“T-tamer of A-a-automatons, I have come to bring you your gift for the season.” Tanaka had to work very hard to get these words out and had to look anywhere else.  
His eyes weren't just brown, they were a light honey brown, almost amber in hue. It was a truly wonderful color. His exposed chest was another thing entirely. Tanaka’s heartbeat was increasing and tried and failed to keep his eyes away. 

It was not as if Souda was necessarily overall muscular. He had muscled arms, but he also wasn’t scrawny either. His chest was broader than Tanaka would have guessed under his clothing. 

Trying not to think about this, Tanaka realized he must have missed something and the other had a large smirk on his sharp toothed face. He crossed his arms over his chest, blocking some of Tanaka’s view before laughing. 

“Hamster-chan, my eyes are up here.”

Tanaka’s blush only seemed to deepen greatly at being caught and he looked up at the other instead of his starring. He had glad his scarf was already pulled up as he chewed his lip in embarrassment. 

“I apologize, Kazuichi, I have rarely seen you in such a state of undress. Such things can catch, even I, off guard. I know that this is hard to believe.

Souda began to laugh once again and walked over with a wide grin, patting the taller male on the back. “Whatever you say, oh Great Overlord of Ice.”

Tanaka knew the other was mocking him, but it was said with such fondness. He decided he would look past this transgression. 

“Anyway, you said something about a gift?” Souda yawned, covering his mouth as small tears welled up in his eyes at the action. 

“Yes, indeed. My intention here is that. Ah- you see…” Tanaka prayed to every god he knew of to try and get these thrice damned words to come out of his accursed mouth already. 

“Uh, Tanaka?” Souda looked at him and tilted his head to the side. “You okay there, buddy?”

No longer able to continue to conceal his blush even with his scarf, Tanaka sighed and pulled out the magenta pouch and handed it to the other. 

“This day is known as the Winter Solstice. An ancient sun festival that few remember. For many years it has been a sacred day and for me, it still is. This stone had been imbued with protective energies and will act as an amulet to protect your fragile mortal body from harm and the will of causaility.”

A slight rustling was heard and Tanaka looked up with hopeful eyes. Souda’s brown eyes were wide with wonder as he took in the almost holographic veins in the stone. The bright yellows mixed with the blues. Silver wire wrapped intricately. He watched the other inspect it as Souda tugged at the wire slightly, testing it, before noticing the leather strap. 

With deft fingers, Souda strung the amulet and pulled it over his head, watching as it landed mid sternum. He fingered it with a wide grin and looked up with shining eyes.  
“This is for me?”

Tanaka nodded and averted his eyes, “It is Tiger’s eye. A very powerful stone even before my magics turned it into an unholy amulet. It is my hope that you will wear it and even if I am not near, I will be able to protect you.”

Brown eyes widened, looking directly at the other, before he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Are you blushing?”

The question was intended as innocent, but Tanaka didn't know how to reply other then to nod. He wanted not to lie to the mortal he wished to walk his path with. If only he knew how to ask the other about such a thing. Even if this is something he had tried to prepare for and this was the moment he had been waiting for. He watched as it began to slip through his fingers. 

“Oh my god, you are!” Souda put his glasses back on before walking over, hands playing with his new protection amulet. He got right up into the larger males face before pulling lightly at the freshly washed scarf. Souda made a face.

“Your scarfs all wet! Take it off, I wanna see yer face.” Tanaka’s eyes closed in defeat. There was no way he could deny the other his sincere request. He slowly unraveled his scarf and felt as the Dark Devas moved into his coat instead. Cham-P moved to the top of his head and watched the situation unfold. 

Hesitant, calloused hands touched his cheek and Souda gasped at Tanaka nuzzled the hand on his hot face slightly. Mismatched eyes opened with a pleading look on his face.  
The hand moved to trace the scar over his eye and Tanaka allowed the other to continue to explore his face with his hands. The touches were soft and gentle, but the skin was tough from long hard work with his hands. 

A second hand joined the first and Souda raised himself up on his tiptoes to lock eyes. They were a mere hair's breadth apart.

“I don't have anything for you, ‘cause, like, Christmas is still 4 days away and well, I've been trying to find the perfect present. But. Maybe this will do for now?” Brown eyes closed as a matching blush spread across the mechanics face.He placed his forehead against the others, or as close as he could with the height difference. Ended up with his forehead pressed against Tanaka’s nose, but it worked. 

“Is it okay if i kiss you?” 

Tanaka’s eyes widened and his mind went blank. The only thing he could do was vigorously nod his head. His voice, when he found it, was lower than normal, husky. 

“I would like that, yes.” 

Souda’s eyes popped open and he smiled before pressing that smile to Tanaka’s lips. It was gentle and chaste seeing as neither of them had much experience with such an act.  
Once finished, Tanaka leaned forward to catch the others lips once more, free hand traveling the Souda’s exposed chest while the other, still holding his scarf, rested on his shoulder. 

A moan was expelled into his mouth before Souda pulled away, his own blush having traveled all the way down his chest. He looked up with blown pupils.  
“M-maybe we should save this for after class? We’re gonna be late if you keep that up.”

Tanaka couldn't help a dark chuckle. “I must agree with that sentiment, but if I may ask for one more kiss before I go find the She-cat? So that I may give her the gift I have acquired for her as well.”

Souda laughed once more and his face brightened. “Well, I don' know. How much you want it?” He teased.

A keen was pulled from Tanaka’s lips and he leaned down to nuzzle the others throat.

“Very much, Kazuichi.”

Voice breathy and light, “Enough to agree to go out with me?”

Tanaka snorted and pulled back so he could see the other wouldn't meet his eye as he shifted from one foot to the other, hands finding the amulet. 

“Of course. I have desired that far longer than i care to admit. In fact I had intended to ask you if you would share my path today, but then you… you graced me with the gift of your touch. It wholly distracted me from that query.”

Another bright laugh. “Then I don' see anythin’ wrong with one last kiss.”


	3. A Storm of My Own Making

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka is hunting a makango in Novoselic when he gets a bit lost in a blizzard. Luckly he stumbles across Souda's cabin. Hypothermia and Tanaka wearing Souda's clothes. Bit tight across the chest and short on the ankles it would seem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: Snowstorm

The storm around him was raging. Everywhere Tanaka looked was another wall of pure white. The Devas of Destruction were pressed against his neck in order to share what little heat remained in Tanaka’s quickly cooling body. No matter where he looked was more accursed white. There was no chance that even the great Gundham Tanaka could possibly find his way back. 

Glancing behind himself at the impressions he was leaving, Tanaka made sure he was going in a straight line. It was hard enough to move about with all the trees surrounding him, but he did keep his path straight. 

Tanaka had been out stalking an animal he had never encountered before. He had an inkling that it was the makango that the She-cat talked about when the snow began to pick up. 

It had been just a dusting at first. As the Overlord of Ice, Tanaka had no need to fear the frozen precipitation that fell from the sky. 

Though, after a half an hour the storm had evolved into something, not even Tanaka’s all seeing eye could see through. Worry and fear infected his mind like a virus as he continued on his path, hoping to come across anything. Best case scenario one of the cabins that had been supplied to their class by the She-Cat. 

It was break for the popular Christmas holiday in this month. That holiday fell days after the sun festival that he himself celebrated. 

This was the first break for this holiday that Tanaka had been given at his curren realm of learning, being his first year at the said school. Even at the age of 15, Tanaka was more then able to take care of himself outside in the snow if need be. Finding the cabin though, that would make this much simpler. 

The thick liquid that held his hair in the preferred shape had fallen long ago as the frozen droplets had melted into their liquid form, his hair falling about his face. His clothes were soaked from the snow and his boots would need to sit for hours in front of a hearth for any hopes of being wearable again. Luckily they were not genuine leather or this would be a travesty. 

Shivers raked his mortal form as he wrapped his arms about himself. Small squeeks sounded by his ears and the worry on his mind was growing. If he had been outside, just himself, he would be fine, but his Deva’s temporary form could not stand this kind of treatment much longer without severe consequences. 

Tanaka was freezing and was worried that hypothermia would set in soon. 

He pulled a chain that had been around his neck out of his shirt and held it up so he could inspect it the best he could. It was a pendulum that he had constructed on his own. While tracking animals, sometimes one must resort to magic in order to find one’s way. 

He held the pendulum up and started swinging it in a circle. Slowly at first as he watched the raw quartz do its job. Stilling his hand he let the pendulum swing in its starting circle as it too slowed. 

After a few moments the circle started to warp and become more elliptical before becoming to an all out, back and forth swing. It pointed slightly to his left and Tanaka nodded, hiding the pendulum back against his body and around his neck before heading off in the direction it had pointed. 

His pendulum wasn’t always the most accurate method. Unfortunately this was one form of magic he had little skill in. It worked for him about sixty-five percent of the time. Working best for small lost items, but as he himself was lost, Tanaka was worried. He hoped he would be able to escape the hellish white landscape. After all, his time was running out. The sky was darkening as the day came to its end. 

 

After walking in that same direction for about five minutes, Tanaka took out the pendulum and repeated the simple ritual. And again at the ten minute mark. It seemed he was going in the correct direction if the device could be trusted. 

As he was about to pull it out for the third time at the fifteen minute mark, he saw something in the distance. 

The snow around him granted maybe five feet of visibility before everything disappeared into the swirling hellscape, but right on the edge of his vision something slightly darker than the snow surrounding him appeared. 

Tanaka broke into a run, stumbling through the deep snow around him as he came upon a cabin. 

WIth a sigh of immense relief and tears threatening in his accursed eyes, Tanaka raised his fist to knock on the door. The knock sounded weak to his ears and he hoped someone inside would hear it as he leaned heavily against the door. 

This, as causality would have it, was a mistake for the door opened inwards and Tanaka fell right onto the floor at one of his classmates feet. 

He let out a sharp cry as he landed heavily on his shoulder, having turned in time to protect his Devas. He stayed there, lacking the energy to stand back up at the moment, his eyes squeezed shut. 

“Hamster-chan?!” A voice yelled from above him and Tanaka managed to crack one eye and met a worried pink gaze. 

“Ka-kazu… ichi.” He was able to weeze out. 

“Oh fuck, Man! Everyone's been looking everywhere for you! What happened?! No, wait, first, we gotta get you outta those wet clothes before you catch pneumonia or somethin’!”

Tanaka let out a groan as the other panicked above him. His eyes felt heavy but he knew he had to stay awake. With a monumental amount of effort, he lifted himself into a sitting position and unwound his scarf. 

“T-Tamer of,” with a sigh he dropped the others tital. It was to much effort to get it past his lips, “… Kazuichi, please, see to the Devas first. Th-there temperature is close to critical. I-i-i’ll be fine,” he was barely able to stutter out thanks to the shivers that still tore through his body.

Tanaka was relieved when the other rushed out of the room, Devas in hand. He knew they would be okay. Despite everything, despite how much they bit him and teased him, the Devas liked the pink haired mechanic. There mischievous side often dominated while the pink haired male was around, but this did not indicate dislike in this case. 

Tanaka pulled off his large black coat and set it in a heap on the floor. He followed this up with the open button up shirt he wore underneath. His boots came next, with his soaked socks. He quickly unwound his wounded arm from the wrappings and pocketed the clasp. He could feel that his make-up was ruined but there was nothing he could do about this in the current moment. 

Once he was clad in only his trousers and tee-shirt, Tanaka pulled his knees up and curled on the floor, having used almost all of his energy. 

He was so grateful that he had been able to locate one of the cabins. He knew not whether the pink haired one could help him, but at least the other would help the Devas. His worry was temporarily abated as he felt his eyes drift closed. Why did he have to stay awake again? 

On that note… where was he? 

Confusion seemed to set in and nothing seemed to be making much sense past this point. He whimpered from his position, shivering harshly. 

He heard footsteps, but couldn’t bring himself to look, even if this was a life or death situation. It was like trying to move through water. Everything seemed so much harder than it should have been.

“Tanaka? I dried off your hamsters and put them in my bed. They seem to be okay, but your not looking to good either.”

“Hamsters…” Tanaka mumbled to himself and his eyes opened slightly. “My h-hamsters?” He asked the other. It seemed to be the Tamer of Automations. Why was the Tamer of Automations in his cabin? Did Tanaka let the other in? And what happened to his hamsters?

“Y-yeah, Tanaka, buddy, you don’t remember? You gave ‘em to me ‘cause they were really cold. I warmed them up and wrapped them in my blanket.”

“Oh. you h-have m-m-my thanks.”

Tanaka’s eyes drifted, miss matched gaze falling to the floor. His body was shaking and he couldn’t have focused if he tried. 

Souda’s eyes widened. “Uh, Tanaka?”

Tanaka looked up at him before tilting his head. 

“Oh, this is bad.” Souda ran up to him then and hesitated. Tanaka watched him. “We gotta get these we clothes off you.” 

When his hand touched Tanaka’s bare arm he flinched back. “You’re so cold.”

“Y-yes?” Tanaka agreed hoping he had got the question correct. 

Soudas hand raked through his hair before he grabbed the other, pulling him to his feet. “You gotta be hypothermic. Come on, we gotta get you outta these clothes. I doubt I have anything in your size, yah fuckin’ giant, but these clothes are gonna make it worse.”

“My c-clothes?” He asked, shivering and started to try an pull up his shirt. A dark blush spread across Soudas face before he sighed and assisted the other. He moved Tanaka’s shaking hands before he pulled up his shirt. 

“Yah gotta help me with this. You’re too freakin’ tall.”

Tanaka assisted and between the two of them they got his shirt off and made it to the bathroom. Souda grabbed a pink towel and was drying his hair. Tanaka didn’t understand what was going on and eventually he ended up in Souda’s bed with his Devas. They snuggled close to his body for warmth and Tanaka was deeply relieved even if his grasp of the situation was gone.

When he drifted to sleep, he had finally stopped shivering. 

 

When his mismatched eyes opened this time, Tanaka hissed. Had he fallen asleep with his contact lens in? Tanaka rubbed his eye and groaned to himself. When he pulled his hand back and inspected it, he found traces of his eyeliner left as well. Had he fallen asleep not only with his lens in but without properly washing his face? 

Sitting up sent his head spinning and another groan was pulled from his throat. Taking out the contact was the only way to get relief. Tanaka glanced about to find a place to set his removed contact lens and found that he was most assuredly not in the cabin that had been gifted to him for this week's use by the She-cat. There was a toolbox on the side table and a dismantled lamp on the floor. The room was also needlessly messy, clothes that he could not recognise strewn around the room. 

Tanaka cocked his head in confusion and set the lens down on top of the tool box and attempted to swing his legs over the side of the bed. He hissed at the pain this caused and the deep cold that spread though his body with the movement. He did find one source of comfort though, the Four Dark Devas seemed to stir and popped out of the ill fitting white tank top he had on. 

It was tight across his chest to a degree that made his face heat. Tanaka pulled the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around himself. 

Finally getting to his feet, he noticed he was also wearing a pair of short trousers. The common name for them was, his mind was spinning and it was hard to recall. Sweatpants, that’s what it was. They were at least two inches above his ankles and forced him to wrap the blanket tighter around himself from the chill as he made his way over to the connected washroom. 

Inside the washroom, again he was confused. There was an open bottle of hair dye and various cleaners spread across the counter. None of these things were his, but by this point he was starting to think he might know of whom he had absconded the sleeping quarters from.

He washed his face of the remaining make-up and looked into the mirror, his hair was a mess, but he had no way to style it to his preference without the necessary gell. With a sigh, he picked up a hair brush from the cluttered counter and attempted to at least make himself presentable, even if it was the will of causality that his hair down must be down as it was. 

Chewing his lip, he ran his tongue over his teeth, wishing he had a way to brush them. He found a bottle of mouthwash and did what he could with this. Once satisfied, he left the room. 

The door to the room he had used didn’t squeak like his own did. His soft foot falls echoed in the dim, dark wood, hallway. It looked like someone was in the kitchen, though, so that is where he made his way. At least the light was on in there. He might be able to find something of substance if nothing else. 

Out of his element entirely, Tanaka didn’t know how to make his presence known in the case of someone actually residing within the kitchen. He was a very private person, and had never spent the night in any bed but his own in his entire life, except the one time he had broken it and was reduced to sleeping in bed with the Angel. Being in another’s residence, however temporarily, was not something he was accustomed too. He did not know the rules of the household or what to expect in the least.

“Hello?” He called out in the direction of the kitchen. 

Once inside the doorframe, his suspicions on the cabin he was currently residing within were confirmed in the form of a pink haired man within the kitchen. Souda was sitting on the floor with what seemed to have once been a toaster. He glanced up and Tanaka was graced with a relieved smile. 

“Hamster-chan, i was worried abou’cha! Good to see yer up-” His sentence froze and hung in the air as a set of pink eyes narrowed at Tanaka’s face. “Wait, your eyes look funny.”

A dark blush spread over his face this time and Tanaka looked away, attempting to hide his missing contact and his natural dual grey eyes. 

There was a sound of scrambling and Souda stood up and, as was his habit, completely ignored the breeders personal space. He grabbed Tanaka’s face and forced the taller man to look at him. 

“Do you wear colored contacts or somethin’?”

The blush quickly reached Tanaka’s ears and spread down his chest, visabile in the tight tank top he was wearing. He tried to avoid the others eyes but it was difficult when he was forced to look straight down at the shorter male.

“I-i… r-release me at once!” His voice cracked as attempted to move away and staggered, stumbling back. Souda was close enough that he was able to steady the other. 

“Whoa there, buddy. You really need to take it easy. You got hypothermia or something. It’s good that yer up, but we need ta cover you in layers.”

Embarrassment flooded Tanaka when he remembered the previous day. “Oh, so that is why I awoke in your personal realm,” he realized. 

Souda nodded, his hair bouncing free of his beanie. He was in a tee-shirt and a pair of sleep pants himself. Tanaka’s embarrassment increased as pink eyes drifted down to his chest, seeing how tight the fabric across it was. A dark blush spread across his own face and he rubbed the back of his head, taking a step back. 

“I knew you were bigger than me, but I thought my tank top would at least fit. It’s the loosest shirt I own. Fuck, dude, you must be built.”

Suddenly, Tanaka wished he was anywhere else. Anywhere, but here. 

“U-um, th-that is… “

Souda chewed his lip, still staring at his chest so Tanaka turned away, uncomfortable with the others forward behavior. 

“Wait, are you embarrassed?” He asked, following the other, but thankfully, meeting his eyes this time. This was a terribly obvious question, what with the dark flush dominating the Breeder’s being.

“Foolish mortal, to think that I am embarrassed of this temporary form that i reside within?! I am Gundham Tanaka-” And with that, he started coughing harshly. It seemed he had raised his voice to loud for his throat to be able to handle after the ordeal he had been though.

Souda held out something to him then and he hadn’t seen the other move. It was a glass of something warm, steam escaping the mug’s confines. 

Tanaka took the mug in hand and cast a cautious look at the other before taking a sip and making a face. 

“Coffee.”

Souda nodded eagerly. “When I want something warm, or when I run out of cola, this is what I drink. I was reading online that giving someone recovering from hypothermia a warm drink was a good idea. They suggested something sweet, so i put sugar in it.”

“This is abhorrent.” Tanaka told him as he took another sip. 

Souda laughed. “Not bad enough to stop drinking it though?”

Tanaka tried to keep the blush inside himself. He had been much to expressive this day and he could not tolerate any more insubordination from his body. “It is soothing, regardless of the awful taste.” He said with a pout.

After a moment passed in silence, Souda’s eyes widened and he flailed his limbs. “Fuck! What am I doing! Sit down, sit down! You shouldn’t be standin’!”

Tanaka grunted as he was helped into a chair by the other before the other disappeared and returned with the blanket that Tanaka had left on the floor in the bathroom. 

“Here, wrap yourself up. I already told Miss Sonia. Texted her a bit ago. You haven’t been asleep too long, though. Maybe like four hours? I told her what was going on, but that I could handle it. It was a mild case after all according to what I was reading and Mikan agreed as well. You were still conherient until you walked in my door after all.”

Tanaka glanced over, his grey eyes narrowing in his confusion. “I must admit, I do not remember much after I arrived at your realm.”

“Well that makes sense. You were even speaking like a normal person. Called your hamsters hamsters for once.”

“What?!”

“Calm down, i won’t hold it over yer head or anythin’. Just sit there and drink yer coffee, kay?”

With a sigh, Tanaka did just that and was glad when he felt San-D pop out of his shirt and nuzzle his neck. She placed a tiny paw on his cheek and looked up at him. He nodded to her, knowing she was checking on hm. San-D was his oldest of the Devas and liked to mother him from time to time. She had several litters herself by this point. Tanaka was sure that she saw him as another of her pups.

“What’s he doing?” Suda asked, head tilting to the side as his eyes widened in wonder at the little hamsters actions.

Tanaka glanced at the ignorant mortal. “SHE,” he emphasized. “Is checking on my wellbeing at the moment. It seems that she was worried about my fragile mortal body.”

“She.” Souda repeated as he gathered the pieces of the toaster from the floor and piled them on the table that Tanaka was sitting at. He then started to tinker with it on the table. “Sorry, man, i can’t tell the genders of your hamsters.”

“Devas.”

With a sigh, Souda repeated, “Devas then.”

Tanaka looked down at the mug in his hands and sighed. “It is… acceptable. I, in fact, seem to owe you a debt for saving them. This is San-D.”

He set her down on the table. “Her name is actually much longer but I have noticed, only I am ever able to remember it, so San-D is fine,” he was trying. He was trying because this mortal had already done so much for them and for himself, allowing him inside and out of the blizzard. 

“Dude, it’s fine. You don’t have to change your craziness just ‘cause you think it’ll make me more comfortable. I got fuckin’ pink hair, I get it. It’s fine.”

Tanaka tilted his head as he regarded the other while he was busy working a screwdriver on a smaller piece of the toaster, tongue between his sharp teeth. The expression was almost… cute. 

“I-i thank you… Tamer of Automations.” 

Souda shrugged. “Whatever dude, it’s just common decency.”

“It is not common as you say, or else others would have offered me the same kindness. This world tends to be devoid of such understanding.”

Tanaka watched as a playful smirk appeared on the others face and looked up “If I didn’t know better, I’d say your actin’ all depressed. What, grandeur falling away now that I’ve seen you without your make-up and your fake contact lens?” 

Tanaka knew he was being teased, but this is honestly part of what was currently going on in his head. The other seemed to have guessed right.

“This might hold… a grain of truth. Its not… fake. I have astigmatism in one eye. My other has perfect vision. It makes it… difficult to wear glasses,” and by difficult he meant annoying. 

Souda’s eyes grew wide before he chewed his lip and looked away. “Okay look, I’m only doin’ this ‘cause your sick. Yer not to talk about this or even bring it up ta me after today, got it?”

Tanaka blinked. “I… accept your conditions?”

Chewing his lip from nerves, Souda pulled out a small case and opened it, proceeding to touch his eyes and pull out his own contacts. 

Tanaka felt his mouth fall open. 

Souda sighed and pulled out a second case after putting away his contacts and put his glasses on, pushing them up his nose. 

“Yah see, I might not have astigmatism or whatever, but I’m really nearsighted. Like legally blind without my glasses, so there. A little closer to even ground?”

Tanaka hesitating before nodding, looking at the warm honey brown of the other’s eyes. 

“Why do you hide your true color?”

Souda’s face twisted into an ugly scowl. “It’s the same color of my old man’s eyes. I hate looking in the mirror and being reminded that I look just like that asshole.” 

Souda set down his screwdriver and ran his hands through his hair, making it fluff. “My hair is also black naturally, sooooooo… we both hide how we truly look? It’s really not a big deal. And well, I knew you were wearing eyeliner cause i do too.” Souda shrugged like this didn’t bother him but his shaking hands betrayed the truth of the situation. 

Tanaka realized Souda was placing everything out on the table before them. He was bearing his soul and expected to be torn down for it. Black and grey hair fell into Tanaka’s eyes and he pushed it away with a small growl. 

“M-my hair is turning grey,” He told the other. “Every day more of my accursed hair takes on this color. I can not stop it.”

Souda had the most bewildered look on his face at this. First was resounding relief at not receiving the ridicule he had expected. Then it moved on to confusion at the statment itself, “Dude, your like 15!”

Heat flared on Tanaka face an he looked down at San-D who was exploring the table top. “Yes. That is my age. Does not make my statement any less true.”

“Fuck man,”

“Indeed…” Tanaka hesitated, he never said such words, but they were bonding? He felt he should give the other some understanding of himself after everything he had done for him. 

“Fuck.” he repeated an watched the color drain from Soudas face before he leaned forward over the parts strewn across the table. 

“Say that again.” His voice was flat and his eyes were dark when he asked this. 

Tanaka blinked and repeated, “Fuck?”

Two hands immediately clamped over Souda’s mouth before stood up. “T-that, you… d-dont say things like that!”

“You requested it of me!”

“Not the first time! God, give a guy some warning! I knew you were hot, but fuck!” Natural brown eyes widened when he realized what he had said and both hands clamped back over his mouth. 

Natural grey eyes widened in surprise and he looked up at the other. “Did you just say-?” character broke, speech patterns awry. 

“I did not!” With that, the other turned and ran. Tanaka hissed from pain as he stood up from the table, clicking his tongue to retrieve San-D, before he took off at a much slower pace after the other. 

Tanaka heard several things get knocked over in the bathroom and a laud accompanying “Shit!” so he was pretty sure he knew where to go. 

He looked down at the tight shirt he was wearing and a dark smirk settled on his face.


	4. Ice Themed Title

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka gets some skating lessons from Souda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so i have worked on this chapter for like five days. Imma post it now even though im not completely happy with it. Hope you enjoy this monster. Don't know how i wrote 18 pages worth of content for this prompt. this one is Ice Skating.

Tanaka struggled with the ice skates he had been gifted by the She-Cat. To his utter horror, she had to buy a pair for him as the size of his feet is not a size she had available. He had known much of his life that his height set him apart. This was the will of Causality and as such, there was no other options. His feet were set firmly in 13’s men and there was no way for him to wear anything smaller. The evil number followed him.

The skates themselves were a thing of beauty.They were mostly black save for the eyelets that held the lacings and the tongue of the shoe itself. Both were a matching deep purple, while the laces were the same black as the shoe. The blade was a metallic grey that you would expect from such a thing. They were aesthetically pleasing and Tanaka hoped to somehow pay the She-cat back for them. She had refused to tell him how much they had cost and laughed off the offer, but he would find a way to repay her. 

There was a catch about this situation, though that put a deep frown on his person. He thought about the dilemma as he carried the skates to the ice rink. The rink was being rented to their class for the day, but Tanaka had never before worn skates or attempted to glide on ice in this way. He has seen it, of course. He was the Overlord of Ice! But… he never before had attempted this and he was worried about looking a fool in from of his classmates.

Pushing open the door to the rink, Tanaka remembered what the She-cat had said about how he could use the rink before anyone else and learn from another. Apparently she had allowed that other to use the rink as Tanaka’s personal tutor. She said that the fiend was skilled and wouldn’t mind giving him a hand. 

The thought that a mere mortal would see him struggle in such a way was abhorrent, but seeing the lack of other options, Tanaka had agreed. 

He had put on his newly acquired black winter coat. It was made of a faux leather, since he could not stand the thought of an animal giving up its very skin for him to wear a garment. It was designed to look like a regular leather jacket, but had a warm underneath. A hood was visible out of the top of the coat. It had a tall collar that Tanaka had kept up and his hand not carrying the skates was deep in the pockets. This was another gift from the princess. Something else he had to try and pay her back for. He knew that she did not wish him too, but the reciprocal gift giving demanded for any relationship meant he would have to find something for her. 

His pants were his black trousers he normally wore, but his hair was falling from the thick gel’s hold. Ever since arriving here, his gel had seemed to have vanished and the gel he was given in return had always been much too weak to hold his thick hair. Tanaka did not know why this was, but he was pretty sure he was being sabotaged. In result, his hair was mostly slicked back, but pieces of black and grey hung over and about his eyes. It made him growl and shove it away frequently as he adjusted his trademark scarf. 

Tanaka felt shy by his look, but the She-cat herself had helped him dress for this occasion and had sent him on his way, promising the teacher she was setting him up with wouldn’t mind him arriving slightly late or mind himself as he was. As a half demon, few could teach him and quickly became frustrated with his arrogant persona, or so they had said. This was who he was. It was not something he could merely change. His demon blood and poisonous testified to this.

Tanaka was inside the building the housed the rink when his eyes were captured by the stunning display in front of him. Pulling him from his thoughts.

Mismatched eyes widened as he took in the scene playing out before him. On the ice was the most elegant skater that Tanaka had ever seen. He might not be the most versed in the sport itself, but as he watched the other, he could spot the skill and familiarity the other had with it. 

Pink hair waved in the wind that he himself created as he glided through a figure 8 before moving into a backwards skating position. Yellow and blue fluffy coat puffed up around him as the fur lining of the hood flopped around with the sudden reversal. 

The other executed a beautiful spin, crouching low and holding onto one leg before spinning out of it and doing another lap. A smile of pure exhilaration on his face. Sharp teeth on display as Tanaka felt heat rush to his face. 

The person on the ice was obviously none other than Kazuichi Souda, the male that Tanaka admired for his beauty, but never really had the nerve to talk to without insulting. 

This was the She-cat’s doing.

Tanaka felt a savage snarl form on his face as he imagined the glee she was probably experiencing from this set up. She was always meddling and trying to force interactions between the two of them. Tanaka was sure it was partially due to the pink haired male’s infatuation in her looks over who she was as a person, sometimes taking on stalker tendencies, but further it had to be more so from the crush he had somehow acquired this past year.

Fortunately, he was saved from trying to get the other’s attention when Souda noticed him watching. His face suddenly going dark red and his spin suffering. He fell hard, scraping his hands along the ice to catch himself.

“Fuck! Tanaka! Fucking give a guy some warnin’ would yah?!” He yelled and stood back up, doing a funny little walk on the skates for a moment before gliding over to the part of the railing, Tanaka was standing at. Face absolutely livid. 

 

Tanaka tried to find words and his mouth opened wordlessly before, “A-are you hurt, Tamer of Automatons?”

Souda scoffed and crossed his arms, leaning against the railing. “From a little fall like that? Nah, but you did surprise me.”

There was a short struggle to harness the power of speech. “I-it looked as if you might have injured your hands.” he pointed out. 

With a sigh the other uncrossed his arms held up his palms to inspect them. “Yeah, might have a bit, but they’re mostly just sore. Not a big deal,” He shrugged. “I used to fall all the time as a kid. Now,” he said, alluring pink eyes flashing making Tanaka’s attempt at speech falter, “What are you doin’ here? No one was supposed to show up for about an hour and a half or whatever. Miss Sonia had said that someone needed my help so I don’t need you here distractin’ me.”

Tanaka glanced to the side as a blush started forming as his cheeks heated up. He pulled up his scarf and mumbled around it, “Th-that is… What I mean to say is I-i…”

Pink eyes widened and dark mirth spread across the others sharp features as Tanaka looked down at his boots, chewing his lip under his scarf. 

“No fuckin’ way. You?! The great Overlord of Ice! You don’t know how ta skate?” And then the other was laughing at Tanaka’s expense and Tanaka felt his heart breaking. 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This mortal knowns not how he is making you feel.  
With a sigh he opened his eyes, seeing the other was pointing right at him and laughing. 

“I must ask you to stop. I-i am Gundham Tanaka and your actions will not be tolerated!” But his voice broke, causing the Souda’s laughter to continue. 

Tanaka began to turn around to take his leave. There was no reason to linger when he was making the fool out of himself that he had feared from the beginning. Especially in front of this particular mortal. The laughter died behind him, but Tanaka was walking away. 

“Hey, wait, where yah goin’? I’m supposed ta teach yah or whatever right?” 

Tanaka closed his eyes and stilled, throwing a dark glare over his shoulder. “I can see that my presence is not wanted here. I will wait until after these festivities have concluded before I venture out once more. Good day.” 

It might have been his hopeful heart, but it looked like the other was worried as he jumped the rink railing. 

“Wait, don’t go! I didn’t mean… Tanaka!”

With a dark growl the taller male spun around, pushing his accursed hair out of his face and yanking down his scarf. “Your actions were unacceptable and as such, I am leaving.”

“No, dude, I didn’t mean ta hurt your feelin’s or anything. Come back here, I’ll teach you.” He was walking up oddly on his skates and Tanaka felt his own eyes fall to his boots.

“You do not wish to. You do not have to.”

“The princess asked me to! If i don’t, do you know how bad Imma look to her? Chasin’ you off could ruin my chances with her!”

 

Tanaka darkened and his expression twisted and his eyes darted back up to the others much to open face. “I will not tell the She-cat of this. You have nothing to fear.” He turned back around and started walking away once more. 

“Wait, no, man, you can’t leave!” A hand was placed on Tanaka shoulder and Tanaka turned forcefully back around, grabbing Souda arm and pinning it against the door frame to the building housing the rink. 

He growled in the others face and saw pink eyes widen and predictably fear started leeching into them. He had scared him. There was no hope. 

Tanaka’s face fell and he released the other. “Leave me alone.” He told the Souda. His voice was as flat as his eyes.

“Dude, fuck, calm down! I don’t mind teachin’ yah, stop with this melodramatic bullshit!” Tanaka could pick out that the other’s voice was shaking. 

“You still wish to teach me after I have demonstrated just how poisonous my skin truly is? I inspired fear in your person when my temper snapped. The She-cat was only able to gain your agreement to teach me because she did not tell you the name of your student. I must return these skates as I will not have use of them.”

“Tanaka. G-gundham, I’m sorry.” Tanaka sighed deeply in exasperation. Was this mortal truly this unintelligent? 

“You need not force yourself. I am used to such rejection.” He assured the other softly. 

 

“Dude, get over yourself and get your ass on the ice.” Tanaka blinked at the sudden snap of the Souda’s words and the demand. 

“I beg your pardon?”

Souda had his hands on his hips, all traces of fear gone and a dark glare on his face, even with a light flush of heat on his cheeks he still looked serious. His lips were pushed out in a pout. 

“Clean your ears more, would ya! I said get your ass on the ice, I’m gonna teach yah to skate weather you like it or not!” 

Tanaka couldn’t help a small spark of hope ignite within him. Maybe? 

“How can you teach one that you detest?” 

“Ah, can it all ready! I’m not taking this shit right now!” He stamped his foot, realized he was in his skates still and his eyes widened as he lost his balance. He tumbled forward into Tanaka who of course wrapped his arms around the other and caught them tightly in his arms. 

“Be careful.” He breathed in pink hair as the others calmed. 

Tanaka felt his shoulders shake before he pushed the bigger man off of him. He glared up at Tanaka and took a couple steps back. Pink eyes not meeting heterochromatic, insead looking slightly over his right shoulder. 

“I was fine, yah know. I coulda caught myself without you. Now, c'mon you big idiot, get on the ice. I’m losing my patience.” Souda turned himself away and walked awkwardly back with his skates still on. 

Tanaka stood dumb founded for a moment before he tisked and followed the other, arms folded across his chest as he felt a small set of whispers play with his ear. 

He mumbled to the Deva under his breath, “Yes, I am fine. I just did not expect the mortal to withstand my touch once, let alone the two separate times. Also, I do not understand why I lost my temper, or why his words seem to rend my soul, but you have nothing to worry about, kind one.”

A small squeak sounded in his ear before San-D scurried back under his coat and out in his hood. 

“I ain't gettin’ any younger, lace up your skates!” Souda yelled from the rink.

Tanaka was pulled from his distraction and he sighed, making his way back, grief still lacing his mind like a drug. He could not meet the pink gaze, not that the pink gaze seemed to not want to meet his either. He did as he was bid and laced up the skates. He attempted to walk like the other and almost fell on his face, reaching out and grabbing the rink railing at the last second. 

Another laugh sounded. “I seem unable to walk on these as you are able.”

Souda smiled at the other, “Yeah, its kinda hard. Don’t worry about it. Your balance will come with practice, but you’ll always kinda walk with a stick up your butt, or at least I know that’s what it looks like when I do.”

Tanaka saw the peace offering in these words and attempted to smile back. Color appeared high on Souda’s cheeks, before he ranked his hands through his hair. Tanaka took a deep breath and used the rink railing as a guide in order to keep himself upright before hesitating right before stepping upon the ice. He glanced up at the other and saw the other was glaring off towards the door mumbling to himself. 

“I-is there some ritual or act one must perform before the demons of the ice will allow you to stabilize yourself on its frosty surface?”

Souda blinked for a moment and looked back at Tanaka. “Huh?”

Tanaka sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. With great effort he tried again, trying to use simpler language for the pink haired male’s benefit. 

“Is there… a certain way to… enter the rink so that I do not fall immediately upon contact with the ice?”

Souda hummed to himself before gliding forward towards the other and holding out his arm. “Here, take my arm in one hand, and hold onto the railing with the other. Thats gotta be the easiest way I was shown.”

Tanaka nodded his affirmative and grabbed firmly onto the other’s clothed portion of his arm, trying to be careful with his grip strength. Souda was mortal after all and would not be able to withstand his full strength. He took his first step onto the ice and his eyes widened as his body shook with tremors attempting to keep his balance. 

A toothy smile entered the breeder’s peripheral. “That’s it, your doing great, Hamster-chan. Now, since you have obviously never been on the ice before, we are gonna do a lap around the rink while you keep a hold of that wall and my arm, ‘kay?” 

Tanaka chanced a shaky smile at the other. “I-i believe that may be doable.”

The lap around took maybe a total of fifteen minutes and by then Tanaka was starting to get the hang of it. Once they were back at the starting position, Souda smiled wide. 

“Yer doin’ great, Tanaka, now, let go of the wall-” 

Tanaka’s eyes widened in alarm, “What?!” 

Souda groaned. “Let me finish, will yah?” A pout formed on his face again and he looked away, “I want yah to let of of the wall, yes, but I’m not gonna leave you high and dry! What do you take me for?!” 

Tanaka opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Souda, “Don’t answer that. I don’t wanna know. Anyway,” the color that has been present on the others cheeks the entire lap around the rink seemed to darken then. “I-i want yah to give me your hands. I’ll lead you and I’m not gonna let go, so there’s nothin’ to worry about.”

Tanaka’s eyes widened and he chewed his lip, somehow forgetting to pull his scarf up to hide the action and pink eyes zero’d in on the action. A crooked smirk formed on his face. 

“So even the great Gundham Tanaka has nervous tics. Good to know.” 

“S-silence.” Tanaka growled out and pulled up his scarf as his face turned darker then Souda’s, the color crawling up his ears. 

Souda giggled but didn’t comment further to Tanaka’s relief. He simply held out the hand that Tanaka wasn’t holding the crook of and waiting for the larger male to take his hand. 

“I-i must warn you, my skin-”

“Is poison, yeah yeah, whatever. I must be immune or whatever ‘cause I'm fine from earlier.” he pulled up his sleeve to show no lingering marks from where Tanaka had grabbed him. Mismatched eyes widened in wonder. 

Souda sighed deeply and raised his eyes to the sky, “Do you really buy into your own crap this much? Anyway, whatever, now because im… imune or something, you can take my hand and it’ll be fine, ‘kay?”

Tanaka’s eyes darted from his outstretched hand to Souda’s face and then back to the elbow he was trying to hold gently lest he hurt the mortal whom was trying to assist him. Even if it was only so that he might be able to show off to the She-cat, so be it. Tanaka felt his chest start to ache as several despairing thoughts took root in his mind. This might be the only time he would ever be allowed to touch the one he wished to share his path with. Maybe… this was acceptable. This situation with them both out on the ice. After all the other seemed to be able to withstand his touch for the moment. 

“M-maybe you also possess the blood of a demon. That would explain how ineffective my touch seems to be. Fine, I will attempt this for your benefit. Behold the power of my touch!”

Tanaka took the others hand in his and then slowly released his elbow, transferring that hold to the other hand and smiled triumphantly. “Behold!” He said again.

Souda smiled and another giggle slipped from his lips. “I can totally feel the power. Hey, maybe some will rub off on me? Maybe then I will stand a chance with Miss Sonia? What do you think?”

And with those simple words, Tanaka was again crushed. He should have known better. Even when he was touching the other whom he cared deeply for, Souda was still only thinking of the She-cat. 

“Do you truly desire the She-cat to the extent that you would accept the touch of a demon?”

Souda frowned and seemed to try and puzzle those words out, “Well, yah. I mean she’s perfect yah know? Everything a guy would want in a girl. She’s beautiful and polite. She smells like roses and her hair shines in the sun. That’s why your always around her, right? I know you like her too, or else why would you two be around each other so much?”

Tanaka snorted and could not help a chuckle. “You think that something like external beauty would be the defining characteristic I would seek out in a mate? True, she is beautiful, but I can not hear her siren’s call, no matter how strong her astral level is. In a similar way that you seem to be immune to my touch, I am immune to her.”

Again, it seemed as if Souda wasn’t following and Tanaka groaned and fumbled for a second, trying to find simpler words. He sighed. 

“I am gay.”

“Wait, wha-?”

Tanaka scoffed, “Are you surprised? Or disgusted?”

Souda took a moment and glanced down at their hands. The smaller hands trembled in Tanaka’s grip. 

“Ah, disgusted. I understand. You may release my hands if that would make you feel more at ease. After all, I am poisonous.”

‘N-no, I-i um…” The smaller hands tightened on his and with Souda leading, they started a show turn on the ice before Souda glanced over and led him back to the edge. 

“Your actions speak for you. There is no need to try and save face. As I said, I am used to this.”

Souda let out a low growl and forced himself to make eye contact. There was fear, but a strong resolve deep within them. “Honestly, I just don’t understand. How would you know something like that for sure? We’re so young.”

Tanaka was taken aback. “You wish to know how I learned of my immunity?” 

Souda nodded. “Yeah, ‘cause… j-jus’ cause!”

With feigned indifference, Tanaka nodded. “Very well. It was easy for one as powerful as myself-” 

“Yeah, yeah shut up! This is a serious question, I know you can answer like a human fuckin’ being. Cut your crap already!” 

Tanaka leveled a dark glare on the other. “I will attempt to simplify my language so that perhaps you might understand. Listen well!” And then he hesitated. He wasn’t able to find the words easily. It was as if one was trying to grasp at slippery fish. 

“Yeah, I’m listening!” Souda groaned slapping his hand over his face and once again looking skyward. 

“U-um…” Grey and black bangs chose this moment to fall into Tanaka’s eyes and he shoved it away hastily. “I have never once felt the same way about a female as I do another male. For example, when i see him stick out his tongue through his teeth while he is working, my heart sings and I cant keep the heat from my face. When I see the way his hair fluffs up to signal his frustration, my own frustration evaporates, even if we happen to be in a heated argument. I can deny him nothing he asks of me. The way the honey brown of his eyes became my most favored of colors. I become unable to purge him from my thoughts, even when the chances for a mutual happiness between the two of us is nigh impossible as he has already given his heart to another and knows not that he possesses my own.”

Tanaka looked down and grabbed at the fabric covering his chest, “T-to love another is pain. Bittersweet agony. When this pain is felt while thinking of another male, then I have come to decide for myself, that must mean that I possess the label of gay.” 

Silence. Tanaka opened his eyes, not really realizing he had closed them. He glanced over at Souda and the color drained from his face when he saw the look of wonder being sent his way.

“W-whoa, man, you got it bad for somebody. Didn’t know you could have it in you.” Souda wrapped his arm around Tanaka’s shoulder best as he could being at least 3 inches shorter than him. Only ending up dragging the other down. He smirked and lowered his voice conspiratorially, “Soooooo, who yah got the hots for, hamster-can? Is it someone in our class?” Souda tapped his chin as he thought, “You said brown eyes, right?”

“I-i-” Tanaka’s voice broke and for the second time today, a blush started to climb up his ears. He yanked his scarf up, shoved his bangs out of his face and looked away. He refused to make eye contact, worried he’d give himself away. 

Tapping his chin, Soudas smirk only seemed to grow. His sharp teeth flashing. “Well, taking Akane, Hiyoko, and… i think Mahiru has brown as well, that just leaves,” Souda hovered on that and Tanaka opened his eyes confused why the other was letting up on his assault.Maybe he would be able to keep his secret. 

But no, Souda had just been waiting and looked in his eyes to watch the others reactions to the names he said. “Hajime kinda got brown eyes and Fuyuhiko does too… fuck, man, they are the only ones with brown eyes in our group. There’s no way a giant like you would go after Fuyuhiko, plus he kinda hates you…” The snicker turns into a full on giggle and he yanked on the other again, pulling Tanaka down even further with the arm wrapped around his shoulders. 

“I had no idea you liked Hajime. Must suck that he’s into Nagito, huh?”

Tanaka looked away, finally getting the blush off his ears. It remained only as two pink spots on his cheeks. He went to cross his arms, let go of the railing. His eyes snapped open as panic raced through him. He had enough time to look at how Souda was leaning on him still before he was going down, Souda crying out and flailing as he was brought down as well. 

Tanaka ended up on his back, trying to avoid any of the Devas hiding in his clothes as Souda fell right on top of him, wrapping both arms around his neck at the last second to try and catch himself. 

“Fuck! Dude! Seriously?” Tanaka groaned and opened his eyes to find the other attempting to get up. He released Tanaka’s neck and placed both arms on either side of Tanaka’s face, pushing up with his bare hands on the ice. 

Red. Tanaka was red. He was burning up and was absolutely frozen under the other. 

Souda was grumbling to himself as he raised on of his arms, sitting himself on Tanaka’s chest and rubbing the back of his head. He glared down and noticed the state Tanaka was in. As if captured by a cobra's gaze, Tanaka couldn’t break the eye contact. His mouth attempted to make words, but only a broken sound came out. He couldn’t move. 

Souda stared at him for what felt like an eternity before his eyes widened with realization and he flinched away from Tanaka, pushing himself away from the other and off of his chest.

“W-wait, don’t tell me… th-there is one other boy in our class with brown eyes.” Souda squeezed his eyes shut as he shook his head. “But there’s no way you could-” He cut himself off and opened one pink eyes. 

“Say something, Tanaka!” 

Still unable to speak, Tanaka was finally able to break the spell of the others frightened pink eyes and looked down, gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into fists. 

“No. nonono. No way!” 

“C-could we forget this turn of events?” Tanaka tried. 

Souda stood fully up and left the rink, running from the building entirely. Tanaka sat in stunned silence before his heart fell to pieces. He felt wetness on his cheeks as he stood up. He refused to acknowledge what the wet was. His face was as blank as his eyes. 

“Ah, rejection. How have you been, old friend?” He muttered to himself, self deprecating smirk settling on his face as he rubbed at the wet streaks that more than likely were ruining the work he had spent on them this morning. Eyeliner running. 

Slowly, Tanaka got to his feet, following the railing over to the exit of the rink. He sat down, took off his skates and didn’t even have the presence of mind to take them with him as he drifted out of the building as well. 

 

Tanaka wasn’t sure how he ended up there, but he was in the She-cat’s personal realm. Her cabin she was staying at among the rest of the class’s own. Hers was a bit bigger, having two rooms instead of the one room the rest of them had. It was beautifully decorated of course, looking as a princess’s cabin should look, but her realm was different. No one was allowed in a princess realm after all. 

Blackout curtains covered the windows and a few candles were glowing softly. Books were spread all over the floor and covering the dark oak desk inside. Her dresser was ornate and sung of old magics as did her black, wrought iron bed frame twisting this way and that. 

Tanaka felt safe here. 

“Gundham. You must inform me why you are in this state. Today was supposed to be a joyous one. My expert helping would surely have lead you to your desire.”

Tanaka let out a dark laugh that felt hollow to his own ears. 

“It would seem I am destined to walk my path alone.” He told his closest allie as he attempted to regain himself. He had no idea how he must have looked at this point. Hair falling about his face as his eyeliner smeared from him rubbing his face while it was wet. 

“Did he inform you of this, or is this just the way you feel?” she asked kindly, kneeling down in front of where the taller man was braced against the wall. He rubbed again at his eyes and could not meet hers. 

“I told him many things today, but the words unsaid were visible to him, even with his low astral level. I believe he must have demonic blood as i do. This is the only way he could have-h-have seen,” Tanaka broke off as his shoulders shook.

He was silent as the crouching princess pulled him into her arms. He let his head fall on her shoulder, as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. 

She petted his hair softly as she spoke to him. “Oh, Gundham. I am so very sorry to hear this. I was so sure it would work this time.” 

Tanaka let the “this time” comment go as he absolutely clung to her. “He was disgusted. He could not stand to be near me a moment longer.”

“He ran away?” She asked, her voice sounding surprised and unfounded hopeful at this. 

Tanaka grunted, “What does it matter? The rejection was clear.”

Sonia pulled back a bit with a small smile and lifted Gundham’s chin so that she was looking straight into his eyes. “Oh Gundham, if you’d like I could always order him to love you.” 

Tanaka couldn’t help the snort as a smirk played on his lips. “With how he trips over himself for your attention, I’m sure that you could. But.” He grew serious and frowned then, looking away. 

“I would prefer if you did not. As false love is more painful then rejection would ever be.”

Sonia sighed and stood back up, wrapping her bangs over her ears. She seemed to be pondering something as Tanaka just attempted to sink into the floor. 

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and she blinked, glancing down at Tanaka. “Will you be alright if I answer the door?” She asked him softly. “I will ignore it if you do not wish me to leave your side right now.” 

Tanaka shook his head and pushed at her gently. “No, I have taken enough of your time. I will be here. Go do what must be done.”

 

Sonia left the room and shut her door softly. She sighed and let her hand rest against the wood as he tried to solve the situation in her head. This was supposed to be a full proof plan. She didn’t understand where her miscalculation had come in. Maybe if she was to talk to Kazuichi herself?

These thoughts were running through her head as she straightened her dress and straightened her back, taking on the posture of perfect princess as she must always be seen with. She was so grateful to have a friend such as Gundham. After all, she had never before met someone she could truly be herself around and as Gundham preferred men, she never had to worry about being… what was it called? Hit on, that is it. 

She herself, preferred women, but it was not like this would ever be as she must one day produce heirs for her kingdom. 

With a dismissive head shake, she walked to the front door and plastered on her princess smile. She opened the door. 

The sight that greeted her made her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. 

Kazuichi was on her front step and he was holding the pair of ice skates that she had bought for Gundham. He was fidgeting and his beanie was missing. His hair was fluffed as if he had been running his hands through it. It was sticking every which way, even more than usual. 

His eyes flicked up to meet hers before he looked back down. “U-um, Miss Sonia?”

“Yes Kazuichi?” She asked completely at a loss. Didn’t Kazuichi just rejected Tanaka? Was he here to tell her about it to try and sour her friendship with Gundham? Did he think he could get something out of the way that he had just hurt her friend? How dare he! 

Her eyes blazed as her emotions settled on fiery anger. 

Kazuichi shifted from foot to foot before he pulled his lip between his sharp teeth. “I-i uh.. I was just with H-hamster- i-i mean Tanaka and…” 

Sonia felt impatience make her snap, “Yes?” she demanded of him. 

Kazuichi looked back up at her and gulped, thrusting the skates into her arms. She took them from him, anger flowing back into confusion. 

“Tanaka, like, he um… he left these while I was teachin’ him. I-i-i can’t seem t-to find the guy to give ‘em back myself,” his eyes flicked frantically over her shoulder and she frowned at him. 

“I-i um I needed to um, talk with him? Yah know? About his progress or whatever. I-i had to do some thinking but-” he growled and ran both hands through his hair, expression turning into one of determination. 

“M-miss Sonia, it is very important I speak with Tanaka. I-if he is in your cabin, would ya go get him?” 

“I can not do that. You have hurt him enough for one day. He will not allow anyone to see him at the moment,” she humphed at the end of her statement and crossed her arms, one hand holding the skates. 

Kazuichis determination seemed to deflate. “That’s kinda what I wanted to talk about.” He seemed to not know what to do with his hands and now was rubbing the side of his neck while he clenched his other fist. His eyes went back down to his own feet. 

“I-i assume you know what happened, huh?” He asked. 

“He has told me much of the situation, but as you have ripped his heart cruelty out of his chest, I do not deem you worthy of his time.” 

“O-oh. I-i see.” He mumbled to his feet and took a few steps back. Sonia was surprised to find that tears were in his eyes. A hand went up to his chest and Kazuichi seemed to clench his fist tightly. “I fucked up that bad this time, didn’t I.” 

His eyes glazed over as he continued speaking to his shoes. “I-if i tell you what I wanna tell him, would you relay the message?” He asked, but there was clearly no hope in his voice. 

Sonia took a deep breath and counted to ten before giving her best princess smile. “Only if its worth his time.” She told him sweetly. 

Kazuichi choked and looked up at her once more. “I wanted ta apologize. I wanted ta ask him to give me a little time. I didn’t mean to run out like that, but I dont… I’ve never…” Kazuichi trailed off and dug at the snow under his boot with his toe. 

“I didn’t wanna accept that I swung both ways. Been denyin’ it for years. Hajime just beat that upside my head. He said that Tanaka would assume.. Th-that he would assume I wasn’t interested or whatever just cause I had ta think. I was scared, Miss Sonia!” He pleaded with her holding both hands in clenched fists at his sides. 

“Imma coward. You know it, I know it. Everyone knows it. I acted like the coward that I am and Hajime said that I might have lost Tanaka forever. I was just overwhelmed. I didn’t think… i-it never occurred to me that he could… that he could...” 

Kazuichi let out a broken disjointed cry as the tears flowed down his cheeks. He sniffled and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “I'm sorry. Please tell him I wouldn’t mind trying if he can still stand to be around such a coward.” He bowed low, getting to his knees. 

“I would be in your debt, Miss Sonia, please.”

She was shocked. Why wouldn’t she be? She hesitated for a moment before a hand came up to cover her lips, other hand dropping the expensive skates.

“Oh my goodness. Okay. Okay! Kazuichi, get up and come inside.” She bid him before turning around. 

Kazuichi scrambled behind her as she walked to her bedroom door. She leveled Kazuichi with a dark and threatening glare before she opened the door. 

“Gundham? How are you faring?” 

A grunt came from the darkness within and Kazuichi stood on his tiptoes to see over her and into the room. 

 

Tanaka sighed before looking towards the light. “What is it now?” Then froze when he saw who the She-cat had brought. “S-souda?” 

A shy smile appeared on the pink haired man’s tear stuck face and Gundham scrambled to his feet, pushing his hair out of his face and smoothing out his clothes. “I-i did not expect to see you.” He explained himself and sent a bewildered expression to the She-cat. 

Sonia smiled her true smile at him and he felt the worry leach out of him. “Souda wished to speak with you. I know what he is here to say and I believe you two should… talk at least.” She told the other. 

Tanaka blinked and looked over her shoulder. “You wished to speak with me?” 

Souda nodded and blushed deeply. He rubbed at a spot under his eye, smearing his own eyeliner. Tanaka had thought the other might wear make-up, but he had never asked before. He knew he looked a mess himself and this knowledge made him shift and pull up his scarf to hide his face the best he could. At least with there mutually smeared look, they were on an even playing ground. 

“Miss Sonia, do you gotta be here for this?”

“Yes I do,” she told him with a happy smile. 

Tanaka lowered his own voice, “No, she does not.” 

Sonia turned confusion onto him and he shook his head and she made the largest pouting face that Tanaka had ever seen her make. 

“Apparently, I do not.” She grumbled and leveled Souda a glare. 

“Fine, I will leave, but know this. I will not tolerate you hurting Gundham again. Do we have an understanding?” 

Souda floundered and held both hands up to her in surrender, backing up against the door frame. “Yeah yeah, I get it. I’m not gonna hurt him. Didn’t even mean to the first time.”

Tanaka’s eyes widened and he stepped forward into the hellish light and winced as his eyes adjusted. He still towered over the pink haired male and he watched the others adam’s apple bounce as he swallowed. Souda’s eyes darted to the side. 

“Mi-miss Sonia told me that you thought that I had turned you down and well yah see…” with a deep breath, Souda seemed to obtain the ability to say what it was he wanted to say, but at a rapid pace. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Hajime told me that you would think I was sayin’ no, but I like, only just figured out I might just like both genders or something cause I like you, but I also like Miss Sonia. But then, I don’t know if I really know the true her and it might be superficial. But with you, there is something else to it that I didnt wanna think about. ‘S why I always stayed away from you and kinda um… treated you like shit. Anyway, you have to know, I neeeeeeed you to know, that I didn’t say no. Just give me a little time, ‘kay? Just a bit of time. I need to figure this out.”

“Wait… you will need to slow down.” Tanaka reached out and touched the others shoulder. “Are you saying that.... You need adjustment time and after you will consider sharing my path with me?”

Souda groaned and looked down. “Sounds really gay when you say it like that.” He whined. 

Tanaka let out a small chuckle. “Well, if the one speaking is gay, what does that make their words, I wonder?”

Souda laughed and smiled at the other and his eyes drifted down. He shivered under Tanaka’s hands and his eyes lifted back to Tanaka’s. Both of them ignoring the ruined make-up on both their faces.

“T-tanaka?” Souda asked. 

Tanaka cocked his head, “Yes?”

Souda tightened his knuckles, earning a soft crack from them. He glanced at Tanaka’s lips once more. 

“Let’s say, for experiments sake, would you mind if I um… if we kissed?” 

Tanaka felt a warm smile light his face and he leaned down, hand going to the others chin to tilt it up. He looked into the other’s false pink eyes and remembered the honey brown of their true color. With a small inhale, he pressed his lips to Souda’s. 

It was quick. It was chaste. It left him hungry. 

Tanaka grit his teeth before Souda jumped up into his arms and kissed him again, opening himself and his mouth to the other. Tanaka took the chance offered and slipped his tongue inside to dance with his beloved’s. 

Tanaka’s hands drifted down his sides, feeling the curves and rolls of lean muscle under all the winter clothing. 

When they broke apart then, Souda glanced around the room and only then seemed to realize where he was. He blushed and smiled up at the taller male. 

“We should totally take this somewhere else. I’ve just lost my first and second kisses in Miss Sonia’s room. I don’t need to lose anymore.” His voice was low as he bit Tanaka’s ear lobe. Sharp teeth pinching savagely. 

A sinful sound escaped Tanaka lips. “I can agree with these terms.” He said quickly and lead the other by the hand through the door and quickly out into the snow. He even forgot his coat in his haste. 

Sonia stood by the front door waving at them as they left with a huge self satisfied smirk on her face. Only Kazuichi was able to see this. He smiled back and waved back.


	5. Comforting Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Homeless, Gundham is living in a shelter and has been pulled out of school while his mother desperately looks for a job. He meets a young boy crying in the park who helps him solve all his problems.

Tanaka didn’t even remember the name of the town he was in. After all this was the third town they had stayed in since his mother’s company had let her go. This was the latest in the string of towns that had rejected the pair. If she found a job in this town, this might become their new residence, but with how things had been going, Tanaka wasn’t able to keep his hopes up anymore. 

Tanaka didn’t like this town much. It was too large and surrounded by mostly plains, lacking the large forests he was used to as a child. His grey eyes narrowed as he kicked at the gravel under the swing he was currently sitting in. His favorite scarf, a present from the Angel five winters previous, was wrapped around the lower portion of his face so that none could see the way his mouth was twisted with nerves. 

A small kick sent him swinging slightly as he thought about his options. The Angel must have a job and despite what he had tried, no one would hire a child like himself. Being only 12, not even a teenager yet, his options were limited. 

It was late spring, the schools would be closing for the summer soon. Beltane has not yet come to pass, but it was right around the corner. He had looked forward to the fire festival in the years past. He enjoyed the large bonfire that his mother would make in the backyard before they had lost their house. 

Other children were present at the park at this time, while he was there. Mostly much younger children as it was during school hours. The Angel had to pulled him out of school, as they had been unable to stay in one place for a while. Something she felt a large amount of guilt over. 

She needn’t worry, Tanaka already had a firm grasp on what they were teaching, in fact the current curriculum was much too slow for his liking. He understood most of the chapters covered the first day, the review over the full weeks time was meaningless to him. 

With a frustrated groan, Tanaka ran his black painted fingernails though his grey and black hair as it hung limply in his face. He pulled his oversized black hoodie tighter around himself , clothes his mother had found for him at the clothing bank. It was still much to large, but as his only coat, it is the one he went for. His mother had recently had to get him all new clothes because of the height he had recently gained. 

Suddenly, a small sound caught his attention and grey eyes looked up. Someone was… crying? 

Tanak searched for the source of the sound and stepped off the swing, standing to his full unusual height for his age. Already having reached well beyond five foot. His limbs were thin and gangly as he investigated to find the source of the crying. 

Under the tunnel slide he found a small boy, black messy hair, curled on his side and clutching his head. Tanaka cocked his head to the side and pondered his options. He could leave the child, chances were that he couldn’t assist the other in the first place. Though, the Angel had been trying to have him make allies. Even if he, himself saw no point since there was no real chance they would stay in this town and would move on to the next one soon. 

But, the look of happiness that she would wear if he could tell her he had made a friend might just be worth it.

Decision reached, he cleared his throat. Nothing happened, the crying child didn’t seem to hear him. 

Now he had hit a real issue. He had decided to try and become friends with this child, but the other didn’t hear him and didn’t seem responsive. He lowered his scarf from over his mouth and pulled on his hoodie sleeve, wrapping his left hand in it. He had to make sure to protect the other from his poisonous blood. Once he was sure no skin contact would be made, he hesitantly leaned down and touched with the first human other than the Angel since before the Demon had been purged from his household. He gently shook the other’s shoulder. More the likely it was a bit to roughly, as Tanaka was not experienced in physical contact with others. Or comforting others for that matter.

Frightened honey brown eyes met his for an instant before a sharp cry slipped from his lips and he quickly tried to shift away, pushing himself up against the base of the tunnel slide. 

Sharp teeth was the second thing he noticed, after his eyes. Teeth as if belonging to a hellish beast. 

Tanaka raised his hands in to show he meant no harm, large sleeves falling down his long arms up to his elbows, showing off the many scars littering his left arm. His grey eyes were wide and he hoped they did not show the fear he felt. 

“D-dont touch me!” A shrill voice lashed out and Tanaka was surprised to find that the pretty face of the other belonged to a boy. His eyes were beautiful, not to mention the intriguing fangs. In his hands were the remains of broken glasses. 

Tanaka’s voice, predictably, chose this moment to break and drop low, making it’s owner wince. He hated when it would do this. The very obvious proof he was just like the Demon. It would be stuck for a while before it went back to normal. In his much too low voice he tried to placate the other. 

“I-i apologize! I was merely worried about your tearful state. I-i um… I wanted to check your wellbeing.” He told the other, his eyes wide and sorry. His still raised hands closed into fists before falling to his sides, the sleeves falling back far over his hands as they normally did. 

“Wh-what? Man, you talk funny.” Tanaka felt a dark blush lighting his cheeks and pulled up his beloved scarf. 

“I have been informed of this before. I apologize for touching you. I-i can leave-” 

Brown eyes blinked in confusion before a small fist rubbed away the remaining tears and a small beanie that was askew on his head was pulled down so his eyes just barely were visible, pieces of the glasses still in his hands. 

“N-no, i-its okay, as long as you don’t make fun of me.”

Grey eyes blinked. “Make fun? Why would I purposely hurt someone I was attempting to check on?”

The smaller youth tilted his head, “‘Cause I'm crying and imma boy? ‘Cause I’m lame? ‘Cause I’m ugly? Pick one. I’ve heard ‘em all before.” Even as he said this, even as his voice stayed strong, fresh tears spilled down his cheeks. 

An unfounded wave of protectiveness surged through Tanaka’s lanky body. “What fiends have said this? Point me to them and I will make sure they pay for their false comments!”

Honey brown eyes blinked and slowly, he pulled his hoodie off of his head, black, wild hair spilling out. “You really aren’t gonna make fun of me?” he asked, much too hopeful to ease the wave of wrath coursing through Tanaka. 

“Of course not! I wanted to make sure that you were okay, but now I think I have an understanding of the situation.”

He took in the others full appearance then, noticed his thin tank top and school uniform bottoms and the small shivers raking though his body of the child as the late spring wind blew under the slide. 

Tanaka didn’t even make the conscious decision before his hoodie was pulled off his thin, but wide shoulders and he wrapped it around the other. 

“Your going to catch your death in this weather without a coat. You may barrow mine.” Tanaka couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on his lips when the others shivering died down. The Honey brown eyes blinked before he pulled his arms though the large sleeves and pulled the front up, smelling it. His brows furrowed and he glanced back up at Tanaka in confusion. 

Tanaka could not help the dark blush that spread on his cheeks at this. His scarf had slipped down off his face so he pulled it back up as he chewed his lip. “I-i apologize if the smell is… unpleasant. Th-the Angel said that I am beginning to present as my dynamic. And as such, my smell will change and become stronger. There is nothing I can do about this fact.”

Grey eyes cast down as he was unable to meet the others eyes in his embarrassment. He did not see how the other’s eyes widened. 

“You’re an alpha and yer this nice?” Tanaka blinked at the other and looked up. FIrst he had guessed correctly, then he had also not had a tone of worry, like the Angel sometimes had. She tried hard to disguise it, but it was present nonetheless. He was an Alpha, just like the Demon. 

“That is what the Angel called my dynamic. Sh-she said that is why I grew and why none of my clothes are fitting right. She um… she had to get me adult clothes because of this.”

The other shook his head, as if dismissing that information. “My dad is an Alpha and he’s the only good one I’ve ever met. Kids at school who have presented, they are horrible. Th-they… they broke my glasses.”

He held them out to Tanaka so that he could see the pieces of glasses clearly that he had been clutching the whole time. 

Tanaka was dumbfounded. “You are bullied at school?”

The other shrugged. “Yeah. It’s kinda why I’m here. I left ‘cause I didn’t want anyone ta see me cryin’.”

Tanaka’s heart broke when he head the words from this child. How could anyone, regardless of dynamic hurt another?.Where demonic Alphas widespread? His accursed sire had seemed to enjoyed the pain he had sown. 

“What is your name, young one?” He asked then. 

The other rubbed the tears from his eyes again and tried to smile. He jerked his thumb at himself, “I’m Kazuichi Souda. Nice ta meet you. I’m in 7th grade.”

“Gundham Tanaka. I am also in that grade. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Brown eyes widened and his mouth popped open. “I-if your in 7th grade, why haven’t I ever met cha before?”

Tanaka looked away and glanced back over at the swings then back at the dark underside of the tunnel slide they were still at. “I am not from this town. My mother is currently looking for a job and for housing for us. She was able to find quarters for the night, but we need something more permanent than the shelter.”

“Shelter?” The other asked confused. 

Tanaka’s cheeks darkened. He had said to much. He fell quiet and his eyes drifted to the ground. He rarely got cold, but the wind suddenly kicked up under the slide and he stood up. He turned away from the other and walked back to the swing. 

“H-hey! Wait! Where yah goin’?” he heard and the other followed him. “I mean like, if you need somewhere to live-”

Tanaka spun on the other and gave him a dark glare. His oversized grey tee-shirt hanging from his form as his messy hair fell about his eyes. “I never said as such! I live with the Angel! I need no permanent residence as long as we are together! I am happy and no one will take me from her!”

The it was Souda’s turn to hold up his hands in surrender. His eyes were wide and unfocused, as if he could barely see the other. Well, his glasses were in pieces in his hands after all. Tanaka winced and flinched away from the other then and stumbled backwards, falling into the swing. 

“I apologize for my outburst. Others have tried to take me from her. I-it is a sensitive subject, my lack of residence.”

Souda sighed and took the swing beside the other and started to slowly swing back and forth, silent for the moment. Tanaka watched the other in confusion. 

Finally the other opened his mouth to speak, having seemed to have collected his thoughts. “I wasn’t suggestin’ taking you away. I get that one too. My mom tried to take me from my dad. I’m guessin’, cause you talk funny, that the “Angel” is yer mom.” Sharp teeth flashed as he tried to say something further and faltered. 

“Does she got a job?” He hurried to add, looking at the other with big eyes and raising his hands, almost falling from the swing in his haste, “Not that I, like, am judgin’ or anything. I just mean, we could use some help at our shop. Dad’s been sayin’ we gotta hire someone else, but he’s always nervous cause I work there and it’s not really legal. We have an extra room in our house and I’m sure we can give that to yah both. I’d just need to talk to him about it.” 

Souda smiled a nervous smile, like he expected to be humiliated for what he had just offered. Even though he had just essentially offered Tanaka a solution to all their problems. “Dad’s not good with customers and we can handle working on the cars and stuff, we just gotta have someone work the front counter and do that kinda thing. I-i understand if that’s weird, but…” The other shrugged and moved his eyes to his dangling feet. Souda was quite small for a 12 year old boy. He could barely touch the ground from the swing. 

Tanaka was frozen. He did the only thing he could, he nodded. He kept nodding and bit his lip hard, tasting blood as tears welled up in his eyes. “Do you mean it?” He asked, finally sounding like the small child he really was, despite how much he had very recently grown. 

Souda must have heard something in the others voice and looked up, eyes widening again and he jumped off the swing and moved to the other, touching his shoulder. 

“T-Tanaka, are you okay?”

Lanky arms wrapped around Souda and he clung to him then. Souda smiled and looked at how the other was buried in his chest, sniffling. It was the first time he could see the other properly because of how horribly near sighted he was without his glasses and he was very glad for the offer when he noticed how the adult grey tee shirt hung from the other, showing prominent collar bones and one thin shoulder. Then having a surge of protectiveness in his own right for the other. 

“Let’s go find yer mom, ‘kay?”

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly i really love this chapter and am thinking about making it into a series. Would anyone like to read that? I probably will write it regardless, but Id love to know if it was something anyone else would be interested in reading it? Let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Thank you so much for reading. I'll try and get the next one done as quickly as possible. on to Angel/demon.


	6. Nephilim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Day 6 Angel/Demon. Kazuichi is a nephilim.

Kazuichi was different. He had a “gift”.He could see things that others could not and he did not remember a time when he couldn’t see these nightmarish creatures. He remembered the first time he had told his father about a clawed figure following behind them. He had pointed it out even, but his father could not see it. Kazuichi hadn’t understood and his father made it very clear he was never to speak about this again unless he wanted to end up in the loony bin. 

Regardless, he could see things. Things no one else did. Because of this, all manner of horrible monstrosities that followed him, chased him, hurt him. He had no name for these beings. Always being at a loss of what they could possibly be. 

It never got better, between the creatures he could see and the daily beatings from his father, things were not looking good for the young boy. The threat of the psych ward looming nearer each day that he tried to talk to his father.

As he got older, he realized they would ignore him if they thought he couldn’t see them. He would ignore the walking corpse of the dog that the neighbors had to put to sleep months ago. He would ignore the mushrooms that gave off spores that floated and attached to people, guiding them to jump in front of trains. He ignored the ones that floated through the air, bonded to dust motes. The superimposed globs of goo that ate away at businessmen as they walked down the street. 

He ignored them all and they began to ignore him. That was before his wing grew in. He only had the one, but it was huge and snow white, the feathers always catching the wind around him.

He could remember very clearly the pain in his shoulder the day it grew in. He had been in class that day. He’d had to excuse himself and hide in the bathroom and vomiting from the intensity of the pain in between bouts of sobbing. He had wrapped his arms tightly around himself, trying to keep himself together, even if he had no idea of what had been happening. He could feel it move under his skin and the sickening pops and ripping of his back. Short lived relief when it finally broke through the skin and splattered the walls with blood and visceral. 

God, he’d been terrified to go home afterwards. He had stayed away for days because of this, hiding out in the old abandoned department store on the other side of town. This, of course, only resulted in a hospital trip with three broken bones once he had figured out that others couldn't see his wing, just like others couldn’t see the creatures walking around and had finally gone home.

But the creatures could see his wing. He was hounded like never before. It was like his wing was a beacon to them, drawing them in like never before.

He had been doing just that, running from one of these monsters yet again, Kazuichi had run across something he had never seen before.Something that finally seemed to put his whole life into perspective. He ran across two human looking creatures that seemed to be fighting. In broad daylight and in front of a large crowd of people, they fought. No one could see them. No one but Kazuichi, that is.

One was glowing, radiant and bright. Their hair was like spun gold and eyes a clear blue, visible even from the yards away that Kazuichi currently was. The thing that caught his eye most about the golden person was the twin white wings that sprouted from their own back, identical to his one. 

Kazuichi felt his wing twitch with the urge to be spread wide and tears started to fall down his face as he fell to his knees. Was this an angel? 

The other, he only noticed as an afterthought. It had large curving horns sprouting from its temples, curved like a ram’s. It was heterochromatic, one grey and one red eye. He had a nasty looking scar over his grey eye and clawed hands, a tail swished behind him, tip holding a tuft of fur like a lions. His tail thrashed as he stalked from the ground what Kazuichi was sure was an angel. 

It bared its fangs and threw itself once more at the angel. They clashed over and over before Kazuichi was near enough to get a good look at what was truly going on. 

He noticed that the horned one was pretty severely hurt, black blood oozing from a head wound as well as a deep gash in its side. 

He heard the words spoken between the two as people around them continued on with their daily lives, foot traffic speeding along, none the wiser. Kazuichi used this to his advantage and was approaching, but staying as unnoticed as possible.Something he had never been the best at, what with his dyed pink hair and contacts, yellow jumpsuit finishing out his garish onsomble. 

“You can not hope to defeat one such as me, Angel! I am the Overlord of Ice and Darkness! I am the first general of Lucifer army! You are outclassed and outmatched!” It would have been intimidating if it wasn’t for the fact that the so called overlord had one clawed hand clamped over his bleeding side and seemed to be panting from exertion, but was staying on his feet. His eyes flared with determination.

The angel threw its head back and laughed like a bell. Kazuichi could tell that it was a woman now. Her golden hair thrown back over her shoulder as her blue eyes burned with fire. 

“You say these petty words, but I am not deterred. Look! You can barely stand! Truly a fate befitting one such as you. Now my only question is,” Her smirk grew in size as she pretended to think, finger tapping her cheek over crossed arms. She kept herself high in the air, out of reach from the heavily bleeding man on the ground. “How shall I kill you?”

Kazuichi’s eyes widened. K-kill? What the fuck was happening?! Yes sure, this guy looks like bad news, but to kill him? Wasn’t that a little harsh? Especially from an angel? Aren’t they supposed to be like, light and love or some shit?

The angel was absolutely beautiful and while he had these thought about the other horned being, he felt compelled to concede to her and her judgment on the matter. It was if being around her took his very will away.

He kept himself off to the side as much as he could, fortunately it didn’t look like either had noticed him yet. He chewed his lip with his sharp teeth and wondered if he should leave and pretend he couldn’t see what was happening like the rest of the crowd pushing by him. 

“Ah!” The smile on her face was sharp enough to cut glass. “ I have thought of a fitting end for you! You see, the Thrones have been considering a new weapon against your ilk. The Seraphim seem to think it too cruel an end and haven’t deemed us able to use this power yet. I do not see how a demonstration would be a bad idea. I know that Throne Junko would be pleased to see a general taken down by it.”

Kazuichi felt his stomach drop as the beautiful face warped and her eyes seemed to spin with madness. “What despair it would sow among your ranks! It was truly a mistake that you crawled out of the earth this day while I was patrolling, A Lordship as such as myself!” She laughed then and pulled her large two handed sword from her back, the pommel beginning to glow as she held it, blade pointing down as if it was a staff. 

Kazuichi didn’t know what to do. He felt a deep dread settling inside himself. There was something fundamentally wrong about this whole thing. Angels? Killing? This didn’t seem right! 

The heterochromatic male spat blood onto the ground, hackles raised . “Our spies have told us that this power you speak of would damage the humans around us! Surely you would not harm the innocent in a fragrant display of destruction such as this!”

The cackling continued before she licked her lips. The glow increasing, the pommel now becoming encased in an orb of light. 

“It would appear that your spys do not know as much as they think that they do. This power does not hurt innocents. It only harms those that have welcomed malice into their hearts. Those that have turned away from God’s light themselves. Yes this will kill a few humans, but only humans that are already lost and not worth saving.”

Kazuichi mouth fell open as did the other as he continued. “Th-that unthinkable! Have you angels lost your way?! The humans around us, regardless of creed have not harmed you and are not part of this! They are but sheep going about their business!”

“The sheep must be culled if God’s grace can once again shine in the hearts of man.” 

Without further ado, the light increased and shot forward, fast as a bullet. Kazuichi couldn’t just stand there, he saw the fear in the man’s eyes. The demon didn’t have time to do anything in response. Kazuichi didn’t know how but in an instant he was in front of the man. He reached out both arms in front of him, single wing flaring out to the side, blocking the man from view completely as he took the blast in his hands. He screamed as it began to eat though his flesh, the light coming off of it was near blinding. 

The world seemed to stand still, Kazuichi could see the angel and could hear the intake of breath from the one behind him. He could see the people walking all around them and he instinctively knew what he had to do. 

He plunged the orb of light into his own chest, his scream drawing the eyes of those around him. Panic beginning to set in in the masses around them. He could feel his jumpsuit becoming increasingly damp. He glanced down at the blood quickly spreading down his front. He blinked a few times before crumpling against the man he had been attempting to protect, but he would not allow himself to black out, not yet. He had something to say to that angel bitch.

The orb was gone, he had taken it fully into himself, causing massive burns upon his hands and chest, his clothing covered in his blood. His single wing fluttered helplessly and before everything went dark, his pink eyes met the blue of the angel. He felt a smirk on his own face. 

“Not what you were expectin’ huh?” 

His vision blurred as he felt clawed hands wrap around himself. He curled into that touch, feel surprisingly safe in the hands of what must have been a demon. Everything went dark and he briefly wondered if he was going to wake up from this one. He didn’t regret his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one took me for fuckin' ever. Sorry 'bout that. I now have three separate stories for this prompt but i wasn't satisfied with any of them. I change the idea i had entirely for this one. I have to much written for this one so there is a possibility of it becoming chaptered at some point. maybe a two shot so that everyone can see what happened to Souda, cause he was totally taken in by Gundam. He's not dead. Also, i had this funny idea of Souda trying to go back to his normal life with a demon trailing around behind him. that would be funny.


End file.
